Mermaid

Chapter 39

Where am I...? Erika opened her eyes to see nothing but blue all around her, as she floated in what almost seemed like an endless void of eternity. Oh... I'm in water... is this... another dream or reality? I can't remember... I can't remember how I got here. I must be dreaming then, but it's strange, why am I here if this is a dream? I can breathe so it has to be a dream right?

She lifted her arm above her head and stared at the back of her hand, recalling the other dream she had when her nails shot out like sharp blades. Only this time that didn't happen, her hand remained as it was.

Maybe... maybe this isn't a dream. In my dreams I'm in the ocean, but it doesn't look to be it this time. She thought when seeing something that looked like a floor before swimming down to her, her feet touched the floor confirming her suspicions. No, no this isn't a dream this is a pool. But if that's the case what am I doing in a pool, and with my clothes on no less... Her head began to throb; her hand reached up and grasped the side of her scalp. How long have I been in here? Did I fall asleep and walk into the water? No, that's just a little too farfetched for me... strange... I really have no memory of how I got in.

Erika tilted her head back towards the surface seeing light shimmering down towards her. I should get out and see what's going on, for all I know people are looking for me. Using the floor as a spring board, Erika pushed off and began to swim to the surface, only as she did so she felt something wrong with her legs, with each movement her muscles screamed and her bones creaked as if being pressed down on by a heavy weight. Almost as if her bones below the hip were about to snap, she cringed at the feeling and used her arms for the last bit, it was difficult but she still managed after all of those lessons she knew how to swim with just her arms.

But it was still hard to do so.

Breaching the surface Erika took in a long deep breath, her lungs clawing for air, reaching the edge of the pool she pulled herself up on the ledge of the pool she coughed up large amounts of water, almost as if her lungs had been full of the stuff.

The falling to her side, she rolled on to her back and just breathed in the air. The white night gown that she was wearing clung to her body and breasts, her hair plastered to her skin and scalp as she closed her eyes to breath.

Her whole body felt weak, all of her energy was zapped from her body leaving Erika feeling numb and sore. In her legs and throat most of all, her hand reached up to her throat, fingers running along the skin and felt some kind of gooey substance. Pulling her hand away she saw what looked to be salt water and traces of blood.

So the gills came back, explains why I could breathe underwater. She thought to herself as her throat returned to normal. The clear stuff must have been some kind of residue from being underwater for so long, there wasn't much and it dissolved quickly in the salt water that she poured against her throat. But that didn't explain why her body was hurting so much.

Rolling back on her front Erika slowly pushed herself up to stand, at first she staggered, her body threatening to fall while she tried to keep her balance steady while also avoiding falling into the pool. But something was wrong, besides the screaming pain in her legs her mind felt clouded, like a blanket of fog came over her eyes.

And before she knew it, she was down on her hands and knees gasping for breath before coughing up more water. How much did she swallow?

It took her three attempts at standing, her legs were shaking so bad to the point Erika contemplated on crawling all the way to the door. But after making only seven small steps she fell down again, and this time she couldn't get up.